And though this treatment appears to be safe and somewhat effective, it’s hard to tell who will react well to this low-level light therapy, which is why the doctors I spoke with were hesitant to fully endorse it. “We’re not sure what the optimal power is, what the optimal wavelength is, we don’t even really know the mechanism of action of how this is working,” says Rieder. Plus, it doesn’t work on everyone. “There are subpopulations of patients who do respond to low-level laser light, but this is not easily predictable,” explains McMichael, though she adds that the risk of using the LaserComb is low. Speaking of a new style: Don’t choose one that’s so high maintenance that it needs to be heat styled daily—the damage you’ll do with too much hot tool usage can leave strands damaged and fried, and breaking before it can grow to a certain length. Plus, thinner hair tends to break easier, so you want to avoid any extra damage-inducing practices at all costs. Make a conscious effort, too, to brush more gently, and use a moisturizing and reparative hair mask to hydrate hair and nourish the scalp—where hair gets most of its strength. I am 31; as a child I had beautiful brown smooth hair with a hint of a wave. As soon as I hit puberty at 13 (1st period on my 13th b-day), my hair turned wavier. Same year, I remember looking down on my legs horrified at the hair I had developed. Only 1 thought came to me: “NOT NORMAL!” Body hair on women is a tricky subject, though, with media heavily influencing what’s considered ‘normal’. My mom, similarly hairy, just told me it’s genetic and normal. The topical sensitizers, diphencyprone or squaric acid dibutylester, have been used in those suffering from recalcitrant alopecia areata or those with more than 50% hair loss. The goal of treatment is to create an allergic contact dermatitis of the scalp. This alteration in the immune response occasionally is accompanied by hair regrowth. The efficacy of the topical sensitizers has been demonstrated in both young children and adults, but it probably works less than half the time. Recent success using oral janus kinase inhibitors, including tofacitinib, ruxolitinib, and baricitinib, have been shown to be efficacious in severe, extensive alopecia areata in adults, but long-term therapy has potential side effects. The durability of response to these medications is variable, and most patients experience recurrence of hair loss after discontinuation. Perhaps topical therapy with these types of drugs may be available in the near future. I too have been having bad hair loss. I am 25 years old and since the birth of my second child 2 1/2 years ago, it has not stopped. It is normal for it to fall out for a few months after child birth so I wasn’t too worried at first. After about 6 months it started to slow down then all of a sudden started up again. And has been falling out ever since. I am really thin in the front and around the temples and just recently, has become really unhealthy. It breaks and is very course. I have been to 3 derms. and 2 PCP’s. All my lab work has always come back normal. And they just tell me to use Rogain. The past 6 months I have been trying to get pregnant again and haven’t been able to. I got pregnant with my last 2 very easy and feel that my hair loss and not being able to get pregnant are intertwined. I also have gained about 15 pounds. I don’t want to use the Rogain because I am trying to get pregnant and don’t know the effects it will have if I did get pregnant. I don’t know what to do next. I am in the Phoenix area so if anyone know of any good docs around here please let me know.

I’ve been to five doctors. Two of them made fun of me. Only one doctor was remotely interested in my hair loss. He prescribed propecia, mens Rogain, and told me to take 2600 ml of biotin a day. My hair is still falling out. I am almost bald. None would give me any tests to determine the cause (other than thyroid, which has been done twice). The doctors tell me it is hereditary. If they could see my family, they would know that is not true. No one that I know of in my blood line has lost their hair. I am beside myself. I barely leave the house anymore. I wish I could find some help somewhere.

Hi Lisa, hope you were able to speak with your doctor. I also talked at length with my mom and sister and feel a little better. My mom has hair but it is very thin but I forget she has had surgeries and takes a lot of meds for various conditions and she knows this has caused her hair loss. My sister has PCOS and that has made her hair thin out. I had a good appt with my dermatology nurse. She sat and talked with me and listened and was very interested and caring. I cried for about half the visit. She examined my head and does see the thinning but it isn’t consistent for androgentic alopecia and there aren’t any just out of nowhere hairloss in the family (she seemed more concerned with females than male relatives). What I haven’t stated is that I don’t handle stress well, the last time I underwent major stress was with the acne and she thinks it has taken on another form. To be as brief as I can besides taking two night classes, working full time, single mom no help from their dad ( a teen daughter and preteen son!), major stress at work, separated/divorced, financial stress, found out my dad’s prostate cancer came back, aging parents (they can’t take care of things like they used to and I’m living with them and it’s on me now), and just found my ex husband (not my kids’ dad) has lung/brain cancer and we aren’t on speaking terms and we work for the same company, oh yeah and I have new boyfriend. The last of this list happened all this month. I know I haven’t been eating well, and with the constipation if I’m severely stressed it runs right through me, then I know its bad. So she and I decided to go with biotin & a multivitamin, see my PCP she really wants me back on anti anxiety pills, I will still see him but I want to talk to him more at length because it can cause hairloss, we are continuing my 200 mg of aladactone, my orthotricyclen, eat better, I do have regrowth in my bangs. She is very concerned about my mental health (my BFF says to me “how is my ball of nerves today?” that’s how bad I am!). I know I just need to manage it better and talking to her was the first step because she too went through a stress shedding period (I do remember it, it was a year ago) and her hair is coming back in. She said it will come back for me. But for my own psychological health she said for me to get the rogaine foam for men and use it, just so I can see regrowth faster. She said they say not to use if for women because of the pregnancy issue and that isn’t a factor for me. I also had burning and itching but with the use of Nioxin it is better. She also said only wash my hair once a day (I usually do twice), and use low heat for my hair. She is going to see me in three weeks. Hi, i am only 26 and i’ve been losing so much hair everyday. I used to have a thick and wavy hair, it was shiny as far as i can remember but now my scalp is visible, my hair is kinky and super thin. My friends always ask what happened to my hair and i don’t have aby explaination apart from stress. I haven’t seen any doctor that specialized with hair loss yet but based in the posts that i am seeing i guess there’s no doctor that could tell the root cause of our hair loss problem. I really think i’m too young to be losing all my hair..it’s really depressing that i am losing my self esteem going out with my officemates. After work i would rather go straigth home that entertain there questions about my hair.
Alopecia areata occurs when your immune system attacks your hair follicles, causing varying degrees of hair loss. Alopecia areata usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on your head, and can eventually cause complete hair loss on your scalp or even on your entire body. Full body hair loss is known as alopecia universalis.

The scalp is where each hair follicle receives its blood supply, allowing it to grow strong. If you show your scalp a little TLC and make sure it's nourished, hydrated and healthy, then your hair will be stronger and more resistant to breakage, promoting healthy growth. Foods packed with vitamin E, like almonds, walnuts and raspberries or strawberries, are great for promoting scalp circulation, as are vitamin C-rich foods like kiwis and broccoli. Walnuts also are a great source of zinc—zinc deficiency can cause shedding—so they’re extra powerful.

Laser treatments are the latest frontier in staving off hair loss, and they’ll be the first choice for fans of sci-fi. As silly as they may sound, these treatments do work — the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology in 2014 reported a “statistically significant difference” in hair density with no “serious adverse events” or side effects.The bad news: Laser treatments tend to be expensive, progress is slow, and they don’t always produce stellar results.

I just began reading this post this evening. My hair loss began when I was 18, currently 29. No bald spots, but it just keeps getting thinner and thinner and thinner. I have been to many doctors as well. Every PCP and family doctor have been of no help. After four dermatologists I have given up on that as well. I went to Hans Wiemann (in the St. Louis area) that offers laser treatments and hair transplants. The whole appointment was such a sales pitch that I was so aggravated and felt worse by the time I left. I have also tried an herbalist, chinese medicine, and a nutritionist/chiropractor. I try not to think about it, I really do, but let’s face it, that’s about impossible. I know my problem is NOT genetic, everyone in my family has a full head of hair. I’m healthy in terms of exercise and diet, I don’t take any medications, smoke, or drink. None of the doctors have ever found anything with blood work or urine samples. If anyone can suggest a doctor, specialist, anyone that can help in the St. Louis or Chicago area, PLEASE do let me know.

Ms. Imhof, who lives in Land O’Lakes, Fla., was skeptical. The company’s before and after photos seemed too good to be true. But she went for a consultation and made the cut. (Harklinikken’s products are not available to anyone with autoimmune illnesses like alopecia or baldness from scarring, or anyone who is unlikely to see at least a 30 percent increase in growth.)

Hi, my name is Kim, but I guess you already figured that. My story begins when I was a child, but it started getting bad when I was ten. When I was little my mom would notice that I had little bald spots. The doctors just said “she’s not getting enough iron” and they would send me home. My mom would take me home and increase my iron intake and my hair would grow back within two weeks. When I was 10, my hair loss started happening on the back of my head just above my neckline, and we tried increasing my iron, yet nothing. We tried for three months, but it only got worse. Then, my once beautiful locks of hair started coming out more and more all over my head. It was embarrassing because I could not wear pony tails like other girls, I couldn’t curl it, I couldn’t go swimming without a swim cap, and mostly, I couldn’t be a kid. When I turned 11, my mom took me to a dermatologist who couldn’t diagnose it clearly, but he said I had alopecia. He also said that we didn’t catch it in time and that it was all doomed to fall out. He prescribed me Olux and sent me home. I tried it but it caused my scalp to turn red back there where it had all come out, and on different spots on my head. Mind you I was still a little kid and still had to go to school, only to be mocked by the shame and horror that I had to endure as a young girl. Kids are mean, and they too will find every way in their power to ridicule you given the chance. I hated middle school because it was a very bad experience for me. I couldn’t do anything the other kids could physically, and I felt very out of place. My mom found another dermatologist that we went to, and he said that if we had not used the Olux, my hair could have been saved and fully regrown. But by the time we did get to this doctor, I barely had any hair left on my head. My 12th birthday was the day that he prescribed me to take 1200 mg of biotin twice daily, and to take four pills of prednisone a day. Within two months, we noticed little hairs growing from my scalp, a miracle! But we also noticed that my appetite was dangerously increased. I went from being a size 2 in women’s pants to a size 15 in those two months as well. I was so puffed out from the swelling that the prednisone caused that I couldn’t wear shoes that I had to put my feet in. I went from 120 lbs to 170 lbs as a 12 year old. I was only fortunate that my school allowed me to wear a hat to cover my “progress in distress”to allow myself and others to pay attention to the teachers in class, not my lack of hair. By the time summer came around my grandma took me to a wig store and bought me my first real hair wig. When I got back to school that next august, my peers thought that my hair had grown back, well, at least some of them did. Some of them had conspiracies that I was an alien trying to blend in, while others tried to plot to snatch it away from me. I knew people were planning to do this because I saw the way they watched me, looking at my every move, waiting for the chance to intercept. I stayed paranoid that they would do this.

Hair loss (alopecia) affects men and women of all ages and often significantly affects social and psychologic well-being. Although alopecia has several causes, a careful history, close attention to the appearance of the hair loss, and a few simple studies can quickly narrow the potential diagnoses. Androgenetic alopecia, one of the most common forms of hair loss, usually has a specific pattern of temporal-frontal loss in men and central thinning in women. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved topical minoxidil to treat men and women, with the addition of finasteride for men. Telogen effluvium is characterized by the loss of “handfuls” of hair, often following emotional or physical stressors. Alopecia areata, trichotillomania, traction alopecia, and tinea capitis have unique features on examination that aid in diagnosis. Treatment for these disorders and telogen effluvium focuses on resolution of the underlying cause.
I have not heard anyone talk about the “HairClub” use to be a center called the “Hair Club for Men” but now seems to also be catering to women. I had a consultation last week and the consultant looked at my scalp with an instrument that showed my scalp on a screen, she performed a microscopic hair and scalp analysis. Of course I really needed to see my scalp magnified a trillion times and seeing both thick and thin hair and of course all the empty spots where hairs use to be. She was very informative and showed me the cycle of healthy hair and also the ones that are not and how they thin and eventually fall out and the hair follicle closing. Their pamphlet show women with different stages of hair lost, from patches to almost bald. She explained that there was hope and that with a yearlong regiment of going once a month and having my scalp treated with their products and some sort of scalp stimulation I can get my hair back. Of course this comes at a price, almost 3k for the year. She did say that the monthly regiment will include hair styling as well. woohooo. Anyways I want to know if anyone has been to one of these Hair club facilities and if they have had any success with the personalized program without having to resort to surgery. My prayers go out to all of you.
I also suspect, as you suggest, that the trichodynia is a result of rapid hair loss. I share your frustrations with how very little we dermatologists know on the subject. The only observational study on Trichodynia and chronic telogen effluvium involved only 8 patients. Only one of those eight went on to have androgenetic, permanent hair loss. The numbers followed is pathetic!
Spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist with antiandrogenic effects, works well as a treatment for hirsutism and may slow hair loss in women with AGA, but it does not stimulate hair regrowth. Estrogen may help to maintain hair status in women with AGA, but it also does not help with regrowth. Few controlled studies have examined the many non–FDA-approved hair growth agents such as cyproterone acetate (not available in the United States), progesterone, cimetidine (Tagamet), and multiple non-prescription and herbal products. A full discussion of approved and unapproved treatments for AGA can be found elsewhere.6,7 In all forms of alopecia, hairpieces and surgical transplants can produce satisfactory results but are expensive.
And though this treatment appears to be safe and somewhat effective, it’s hard to tell who will react well to this low-level light therapy, which is why the doctors I spoke with were hesitant to fully endorse it. “We’re not sure what the optimal power is, what the optimal wavelength is, we don’t even really know the mechanism of action of how this is working,” says Rieder. Plus, it doesn’t work on everyone. “There are subpopulations of patients who do respond to low-level laser light, but this is not easily predictable,” explains McMichael, though she adds that the risk of using the LaserComb is low.
Each hair develops from a follicle — a narrow pocket in the skin — and goes through three phases of growth. Anagen (A), the active growth phase, lasts two to seven years. Catagen (), the transition phase, lasts about two weeks. During this phase, the hair shaft moves upward toward the skin's surface, and the dermal papilla (the structure that nourishes cells that give rise to hair) begins to separate from the follicle. Telogen (C), the resting phase, lasts around three months and culminates in the shedding of the hair shaft.

Hi there.. I to am experiencing hair loss.. lots of it.. Doesn’t even feel like hair.. and my scalp hurts.. almost like a throbbing.. I have leukemia and have had since 2005 but doesn’t appear to present a problem. I’ve had trouble a couple of times in the past few years due to stress (lost a sister in a car wreck) but my hair got healthy again. This time around there has been no stress.. I was low in B12 (261), however, I’ve been getting shots and its up to 450. They’ve ruled out thyroid.. Any ideas what else it could be and how I should move forward in figuring it out? I’m very anxious.. I’ve always had long very thick coarse hair but always healthy.. now it looks limp and always feels dirty..

"We developed a protocol to drive human pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into dermal papilla cells and confirmed their ability to induce hair growth when transplanted into mice," said Prof. Terskikh. The next step in their research is "to transplant human dermal papilla cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells back into human subjects."
Triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog), 0.1 mL diluted in sterile saline to 10 mg per mL, is injected intradermally at multiple sites within the area to a maximum dosage of 2 mL per visit.6 The main side effect, atrophy, can be minimized by not injecting too superficially and by limiting the volume per site and the frequency of injection (no more often than every four to six weeks).6 Because spontaneous resolution often occurs in patients with alopecia areata, assessing treatment response can be difficult. Intralesional steroids should be discontinued after six months if no improvement has been noted.
My daughter is 17 and has had significant hair loss over the past 4 years. It has really made her self conscience and depressed. We have been to dermatologists that have done scalp biopsies , natural doctors for herbs, etc. Does anyone know of a really good dermatologist that specializes in hair loss and is knowledgable about immune disorders? We live in St Louis, but are willing to travel for help.
Once male-pattern baldness starts, it’s not going to stop until every last hair on your head has shrunk or shed, though the rate at which this happens differs from person to person and depends on genetics. And since the grind of hair loss is unending, it’s important to start treatment as soon as your hairline starts bothering you. If you’re looking for a more quantitative metric, Dr. Paul McAndrews, clinical professor of dermatology at the USC School of Medicine and member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, assures me that “you have to lose half your hair before the human eye can tell.” (Of course, if you don’t care about losing your hair and are fine with going full Prince William and shaving your head, go for it. We’ve got some recommendations for razors and hair trimmers to help you out on that front.) KARYN SPRINGER, M.D., is a staff physician at Intermountain Health Care, Orem, Utah, and a part-time faculty member at the Utah Valley Family Practice Residency Program, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, Provo, where she also completed a residency. Dr. Springer received her medical degree from the University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City....
Once male-pattern baldness starts, it’s not going to stop until every last hair on your head has shrunk or shed, though the rate at which this happens differs from person to person and depends on genetics. And since the grind of hair loss is unending, it’s important to start treatment as soon as your hairline starts bothering you. If you’re looking for a more quantitative metric, Dr. Paul McAndrews, clinical professor of dermatology at the USC School of Medicine and member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, assures me that “you have to lose half your hair before the human eye can tell.” (Of course, if you don’t care about losing your hair and are fine with going full Prince William and shaving your head, go for it. We’ve got some recommendations for razors and hair trimmers to help you out on that front.) Today, one of the most common problems that could degrade one's beauty is hair loss. Most individuals usually shed 50 to 100 hairs every day. This loss, usually does not cause noticeable thinning of scalp hair, as new hair simultaneously grows along. Hair loss occurs when this cycle of growth of hair and shedding of hair is disrupted or when the hair follicle is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. There are a lot of causes of hair loss. Usually hair loss could be heredity or because of family history, can be due to hormonal changes, because of certain medications and also because of some medical conditions or diseases. Several conditions or diseases leads to hair loss. If you are one of those who suffer from loss of hair then you would probably love to read this article which explains about the diseases that cause hair loss.

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KARYN SPRINGER, M.D., is a staff physician at Intermountain Health Care, Orem, Utah, and a part-time faculty member at the Utah Valley Family Practice Residency Program, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, Provo, where she also completed a residency. Dr. Springer received her medical degree from the University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City.... In answer to which doctor should I see for my hair loss, my opinion is that you should probably see both. Most doctors don’t know enough about hair loss as it is, so seeing doctors in different specialties may actually help you get a better, more accurate diagnosis. I am sure there are various conditions of hair loss that might be better served by seeing one more than the other. Perhaps a dermatologist would be better suited in determining if the cause was an infectious skin condition such as ringworm or scaring alopecia, and an endocrinologist may be better at diagnosing hormone related hair loss. The truth is, any doctor whether it is an endocrinologist, dermatologist, or general practitioner with a strong interest and knowledge in hair loss can make a proper diagnosis and work with you on the the treatment they think will produce the best results. The operative words here are “interest and knowledge.”
How many of us are out there… feeling alone and pretending to not be ashamed. As a child, I had so much hair that my mother used a thinning shears on my locks. In high school I had a glorious mane, cut into a ‘Gypsy’… what great pictures. By my mid-20’s I had to cut my hair short because it was so thin that it wouldn’t hold a style. Was diagnosed with PCOS and told that this syndrome, combined with heredity, caused my hair loss. Just found this site today and want to thank everyone who is sharing. I don’t have the words for how devastated I feel about losing my beautiful, beautiful hair. Thank you for the information and fellowship here. I have a wonderful internist, but she hasn’t been able to help, (been dealing with PCOS for 12 years now and severe hair loss since Feb 2008). Will be looking for an endocrinologist and a dermatologist now too. Hope I can give back some day with good news. Minoxidil (Rogaine, generic versions). This drug was initially introduced as a treatment for high blood pressure, but people who took it noticed that they were growing hair in places where they had lost it. Research studies confirmed that minoxidil applied directly to the scalp could stimulate hair growth. As a result of the studies, the FDA originally approved over-the-counter 2% minoxidil to treat hair loss in women. Since then a 5% solution has also become available when a stronger solution is need for a woman's hair loss.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, autoimmune diseases occur when your immune system, which is your body’s method of protecting you from disease, turns against itself and attacks healthy cells in your body. It’s not clear what causes any autoimmune diseases. There is evidence that they tend to run in families. And it’s also known that women, particularly African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American women, are more prone to getting them.
There are numerous diseases that can affect the hair and scalp. Hair loss can be caused by a variety of conditions. Diseases such as alopecia areata, anemia, male/female pattern baldness, and infections of the scalp can all cause significant difficulty and loss of daily well-being. Stanford Dermatology has established a special clinic focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders of the hair. Harklinikken (“hair clinic” in Danish) inspires great loyalty. Four out of five users come as referrals from satisfied customers, said Lars Skjoth, the company’s founder and chief scientist. The results are certainly compelling. After four months of daily application — that is, working the tea-colored tonic into the hair section by section, then letting it sit on the scalp for six hours — most users regain at least 30 percent of lost density, and some as much as 60 percent, according to company figures.
Though we think our hair is super important, our bodies consider it nonessential (read: we don’t need it to stay conscious). Other bodily functions, like breathing, are more pressing and get first access to the nutrients in our diet. Our hair gets the leftovers. Protein is your hair's best friend, so reach for healthy protein such as eggs and fish and avoid fasting or yoyo dieting. These can deprive your body of these essential building blocks for a healthy scalp and hair. Wild salmon, tuna and trout are packed with omega-3 fatty acids that help provide moisture and prevent dry and brittle hair. Foods rich in B vitamins also help keep hair follicles healthy, decreasing the risk for hair loss. Fruits and vegetables, and beans and lean meat sources, such as chicken or turkey breast, are all great sources for vitamin B. I am on Arava and my hair has become extremely coarse, frizzy, and tight tight curls in the back. The sides of my hair are pure frizz and the top is straight, with frizz. It used to be smooth and so easy to manage. Now it takes so long and it looks awful. Anyone find the same thing and anything that helps? I have tried so very many hair products, so has my beautician. She says it is like I have 3 completely different textures on my head. There are numerous nonsurgical treatments that when combined, can offer significant hair improvements. Dr. Yaker’s TCHR Volumizing Glycolic Acid Shampoo and Conditioner help restore vitality to the hair by deep cleaning the scalp and reestablishing lost moisture content and physiological pH to the scalp and hair. Dr. Yaker has also formulated his own oral supplement, which is a blend of Aminoplex hair repair vitamins. This is made up of amino acids (building blocks of protein) that produce keratin, which makes up close to 97% of our hair. In addition, Dr. Yaker’s specially compounded FDA approved topical medication, Minoxidil (brand name: Rogaine®), is clinically proven to help slow down, stop and even reverse hair loss in women. Other nonsurgical therapies offered are Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) using the advanced LaserCap®, and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) with placenta-derived extracellular matrix therapy to help restore thinning hair. Lastly, Dr. Yaker offers scalp and facial micropigmentation where permanent ink is applied to the skin, creating micro dots that replicate the natural appearance of hair. This is used for the scalp and eyebrows.